AI Ep01 A New Beginning
by Lady-Sailor-75
Summary: I absolutely loved A.I. through 95% of it. But; I really hated the ending of the movie. There was no truly happy ending for David and no justice for Joe. So, this is the ending I imagined for it. It has been on my mind since the movie was new. Now, I will share it with the world. There will be sequels.
1. Chapter 1

NOTE: I really hated the original ending of the movie. So, this is my own vision of how this should have ended. I strongly believe that humans will never go extinct. Also, I hated the seriously-advanced robots that were now building themselves (what would be the point?) and that there was no justice for Joe. So, this is my ending. I hope you like it. I will start right after Joe's capture.

David steered the amphibicopter towards the ruins of Coney Island and followed them to the Pinocchio exhibit. There he found his Blue Fairy and landed the machine. He stared at the Blue Fairy statue, still believing her to be real.

Many seaside cities were lost many years ago after the polar ice caps had melted and the oceans had risen. New York, Los Angeles, London, Sydney, Venice, and more of these lovely places were lost to the world forever. Millions people in poorer countries starved. For many years, pregnancies were strictly licensed to prevent overpopulation since resources were dwindling. During these times, highly-advanced robots had been massively produced. These robots looked so much like actual humans that one could not tell from looking at you if you were a machine (Mecha) or a person (Orga).

The robots were so advanced that they possessed many things that humans did; including a will to live and some human emotion. The will to live made these machines just as eager to avoid destruction as a person to avoid death. When chased by those intent on destroying them, including the flesh fair hounds, they would run; just the same as a person runs from those intent on abduction or murder. The robots also possessed a program called Damage Avoidance System, or DAS, to prevent them from breaking themselves. The pain receivers reacted with the equivalent of human pain and was just as unpleasant for the robots as pain is for a person.

The animosity towards Mecha grew into hatred and Flesh Fairs became popular as a new form of entertainment. At these events, robots would be destroyed onstage in front of a cheering crowd.

David had been abandoned by his adoptive mother, Monica, because she feared he would be destroyed if she took him back to his builders after her husband wanted him gone. He believed that the Blue Fairy would turn him into a real boy, like the puppet he had heard about in the story.

Now, David stared at the statue and never looked away as he begged her countless times: "Make me real! Make me a real live boy! Please, Blue Fairy, make me real."

As the Wonder Wheel collapsed onto the copter, David was undeterred. His eyes stayed fixed on the Blue Fairy as she never stopped looking back at him and smiling.

1


	2. Chapter 2

50 Years Later (2611)…

A large salvage vessel anchored over the remnants of Coney Island. Two men climbed into a submersible and prepared to dive. A woman on board the ship watched as the submersible disappeared into the dark waters of the area once known as Coney Island.

"Nomad heading east," the pilot of the submersible said.

"Let me know what you see," the brunette woman onboard the ship ordered.

"What do you expect to find, Irene?," a crewman asked.

"We'll see when we find it," Irene replied. "Keep your eyes open, Nathan."

Now that the world was recovering from the melting of the ice caps and the previously low resources, leisure and exploration was making their comeback.

Irene Ford, along with her husband, was captain of the "Liza-Jane" and was now becoming a modern-day Robert Ballard. Ballard was famous for many years as the man who found the wreck of the RMS Titanic in 1985 and a former USA President's PT 109 in 2002. As a child, Irene had read books about him and his own books. She had also read the books by many Titanic survivors and dreamed of salvaging one day. Because ships and boats were seldom used during the "Age of the Mecha" there were almost no new sunken shipwrecks to find. But there were other things to find, including abandoned robots.

The Age of the Mecha had begun shortly after "The Great Meltdown," the time when the polar ice caps melted away and rose the seas.

Irene and Michael Ford also explored on land. She had recently explored an area of Detroit that had not yet fully recovered. Finding an old Cybertronics plant, they had found four robots ready for destruction, but still fully intact. They had been "decommissioned" (turned off), but could be restored with the right knowledge.

Although robots were still being produced, their numbers were now limited. Irene wanted originals, the ones that had human emotions and even had wants and desires.

Flesh Fairs were now illegal, but there were a few copycats operating underground.

"What about the one we found in Detroit?," Alexa asked. "Have you read the files we found?"

"Yeah, I did," Irene said. "It said he was to be destroyed because he allegedly killed a woman. He was captured around here after stealing an amphibicopter."

"Killed a woman?," Alexa asked. "Does that not concern you?"

"No," Irene replied. "He was a Lover-Mecha. I don't think he would have that capability, even if somebody told him to do it."

"What the hell is a Lover-Mecha?," Michael asked.

"A Lover-Mecha was a prostitute Mecha then, Michael," Irene replied. She read the file. "They were built in both male and female, anatomically perfect, and were introduced due to the birth-control laws." She put the file down. "During that age, you had to get a permit to have a baby. So, many countries re-instated prostitution to allow it to be done with these Mechas only. A robot cannot get me pregnant or get pregnant. That's what that thing is we found."

"Are we going to re-activate him?," Fiona asked.

"Later, yes," Irene replied. "When we're back at the base."

In the lower deck of the vessel was Gigolo Joe, lying perfectly still on a table. Fiona thought he looked creepy, like a corpse. His eyes were closed and his arms were straight at his sides. There was no motion coming from him at all. To Fiona, he looked very creepy. She couldn't wait for the team to re-activate him… or destroy him.

"Irene, we found something interesting," Nathan said over the radio after some time. "I think we found that Mecha's stolen amphibicopter here. They said this is where the found him after he stole it."

"Let's get the equipment and bring it up," Irene said. "There may be something left he left behind in it."

"Will do, boss lady," Nathan replied.

It took some time to hoist the submerged vehicle up. Using a rooftop as a makeshift island, they set the amphibicopter on top of it. With some trouble, Nathan and Justin managed to open the door.

"You're joking," Justin gasped when he saw what was there. "This is one of those original child robots."

"They said the prototype was lost almost fifty years ago," Nathan pointed out. "This must be the one. Let's get him to the vessel."

"Get that teddy bear, too," Justin replied. "It must be his toy."

Justin lifted David from the amphibicopter and placed him onto the waiting boat that Fiona had brought over. Like Joe, he looked like a corpse with his wide unblinking stare and lack of any motion at all. The bear was placed into the boat.

Fiona and Alexa then drove the boat back to the ship, where the two robots were lifted aboard.

Eight researchers were onboard with the search. Another twelve took care of the ship itself, cleaned the place, and did the cooking. They had all signed strict Non-Disclosure Agreements that would result in them being sued if they should say one word about what they saw. They would lose their career licenses and end up struggling to feed their own families while working lame jobs that paid very little.

Michael stared at the boy Mecha. "What do you want to do?"

"Keep him," Irene replied. "Re-activate him."

"Are you sure?," Michael asked. "He could be trouble. What if he's capable of rebellion like a real teenager? Is he capable of temper tantrums like a real child?"

"I doubt that," Irene said. "Why program that? I also want that teddy bear repaired."

"We'll do that," Michael replied. "I'm not sure about that other one we found. What if he did kill that woman?"

"Why would he?," Irene asked. "They're not capable of the rage or anger or revenge motives like we are. What reason would he have to have killed anyone? The fact that the woman was married tells me a certain other person had the motive."

"Her husband," Michael guessed.

"He's in a nursing home now," Irene said. "Maybe we should pay him a visit." She sighed heavily. "Soon."

"Let's go home, Irene," Michael said. "We'll get these things operational as quickly as possible."

Michael was a handsome man with long black hair that touched his broad shoulders and wore a goatee. He had dark brown eyes and was very lean and not very athletic. Irene was brunette with long flowing hair that fell to her waist. She had brown eyes. She did not have the supermodel figure that many women want. But she was happy.

As the ship sailed towards their port, Irene and the crew ate a meal below deck.

"So, what do we do with these two?," Alexa asked.

"They knew originals," Irene replied. "They can tell us many things about their kind that we're not finding anywhere else."

"I can't believe they made those Lover-Mechas," Fiona said. "Who would have sex with a machine?"

"People did," Irene replied. "Since Rouge City is still full of those things, that means that people still do have sex with them."

"I'm afraid of that thing you've got in there," Alexa admitted. "I don't want it near me."

"Jump overboard," Irene said flatly. "We need him. I have a zillion questions to ask him. I'm sure he can answer them."

"What about the boy one?," Jason asked.

"He's a child simulator," Irene replied. "We don't know what age level he was programmed to be. So we don't know if he has the information that we need. The other one will surely be able to tell us a lot more than the boy."

"She makes sense," Nathan replied.

"Yeah," Michael said. "I just want her to be careful."

As the crew later began to prepare to sleep for the night, Irene and Michael went to the captain's quarters together. As they lay in bed, tired from a long day, they looked at one another.

"I'll support you all the way, Irene," Michael said. "But please be careful."

Irene kissed Michael and played with his hair. "I will," she reassured him with a smile. "I will, Michael."

3


	3. Chapter 3

The tractor-trailer truck pulled into the driveway of the Fords' home. Michael and Irene stepped out of the trailer, which had been well modified for their many journeys. The front end of the trailer was like a small recreational vehicle with a bed, television, sofa, and more. The rear half was where the couple hauled their finds during their expeditions.

The workers lifted out the large metal crates and placed them onto large table-carts and rolled them into the large room in the rear of the house. They set the crates on the floor and began to open them. The two teams' members were under the same strict NDA that the ship crew was on. Team one lifted the boy robot from the crate and set him onto a table that was surrounded with lights and equipment. Team two lifted the adult robot and laid him out on another table, also surrounded with lights and equipment. They looked like surgery room tables, but there was no surgery to be done here.

Michael looked at Joe. "Let's see," he said. "From what we read in the original plans, the activation switches are in their backs. The team log-rolled Joe onto his left side and removed a sleeve of his coat to see. "We got it," Michael announced. He touched a very tiny button and a compartment in the back, where a human spinal cord would be just behind a heart, opened. Michael flipped the flat button and the mechanics lit up and came to life.

Joe's eyes opened and he immediately moved. The team rolled him back onto his back and held him there, not sure what he would do.

"Let him go," Irene said as she was approaching. "Don't restrain him."

The team released their grip, allowing Joe to sit upright. As Joe looked around, he saw David on the other table.

"David." Joe jumped to his feet as he pulled his coat back on. He stood over David and looked at him. Joe then looked at the team. "Who are all of you and why am I here?"

"My name is Irene," Irene replied. "We're researchers and we found both of you recently."

"What do you mean, 'found' us?," Joe asked.

"According to this file from Cybertronics, you were to be destroyed after they believed you committed murder," Irene explained. "That was almost fifty years ago. You've been in a storage facility at one of Cybertronics' abandoned offices for all those years."

"Fifty years?," Joe asked. "What about David?"

"So you know him?," Irene asked as she stepped a little closer.

"Yes," Joe said. "I helped him reach Man-hatten. He was looking for something that he couldn't find."

"What did he want, Joe?," Irene asked.

"Blue Fairy," Joe replied. "He wanted to be a real child, but he's not, is he?"

"The Blue Fairy is a fictional creation, Joe," Irene replied. "She is a character in a story about a wooden puppet that is turned into a real child by the Blue Fairy."

"I told David that only humans believe what cannot be seen," Joe said. "Like some of you humans believe in God, though you never see him."

"Well, there is proof of God's existence," Irene replied. "But stories are written by people. They're for entertainment. In reality, we don't always get a happy ending. But in stories, we always get a happy ending. That's why people like them." Irene sighed and stared out the window.

"Will there be a happy ending for David?," Joe asked.

"I don't know," Irene replied as she glanced back at Joe. "We're going to try all we can to bring him back." She stepped closer to the table and looked at David; she was now standing next to Joe. "For now, we have a lot to talk to about with you. We need to inform you of what's happened the past fifty years and we have some questions you can answer. Will you stay for now?"

"I won't leave David again," Joe replied. "But, they may find me again."

"They're not looking for you anymore, Joe," Irene said. "They think you're gone already. You're free now. But we hope you'll stay here for a while. We will keep both you and David safe. And now you're both registered as belonging to me and my husband."

"Yes," Joe said, still staring at David. "I must."

2


	4. Chapter 4

The television news broadcast on the high-definition TV in the living room of the Fords' home. Joe watched it intently, trying to absorb what changes had taken place since he had gone dark.

"Another underground Flesh Fair was broken up by police early this afternoon," a reporter was saying. "Flesh Fairs were once very popular and legal, but were later banned after deaths of three people who were mistaken for Mecha. It was once said, nearly fifty years ago, a young boy was passed off as a Mecha child, perhaps in a murder attempt, at a Flesh Fair in Haddonfield. He was rescued, along with another, who is believed to indeed have been a Mecha. Neither of them were seen again."

"That was David and me," Joe said as Irene walked into the room with her dog. "David screamed not to be burned and they thought he was a real child."

"That story has spread everywhere," Irene told Joe as she sat in her favorite chair with her soda. "Lord Johnson-Johnson was never the same after all that. People thought he was a heartless sociopath and his flesh fair went out of business. Later, they were made illegal, but there are a few smaller types of them operating underground. So, you still need to be very careful."

That evening, Irene and Michael sat down to eat in front of the television. Joe, now trusted and allowed into the home, walked around slowly and looked at the photographs that were on display. Nearly all the photos were of the couple's numerous expeditions and adventures.

"Why do you do this?," Joe asked as he continued to look.

"Educate," Irene replied. Holding her glass of soda, she approached and looked at what he was looking at. "It's important to learn history, Joe, so we don't repeat it." She pointed at one. "Michael and I were the last people to see the wreck of the Titanic before it collapsed. Even after all that time, it held on. Sank in nineteen-twelve, was believed to collapse in twenty-thirty, but held on until twenty-five-seventy-eight. We saw it three months before it went. Then, your age came around in twenty-five-fifty and lasted well over seventy-five years."

"What year is it now?," Joe asked.

"Twenty-six-eleven," Irene replied. "From the records and evidence we have, David was underwater for fifty years. We pieced all this together from files. You were to be destroyed in twenty-five-sixty-two, a year after they found you with David. Therefore, we figured David was down there all that time."

"What will you tell David when he comes back?," Joe asked.

"I don't know," Irene replied. "He was meant to be so young. We'll have to be more careful when we explain all this. But it may not help, no matter what we tell him."

"He'll want only one thing, Irene," Joe replied. "He'll ask to see his mommy immediately."

"Did he ever tell you her name?," Irene asked.

"Monica," Joe replied. "That's all. Just Monica."

"Without her last name, it will be more difficult to locate her, no matter if she's alive or dead," Irene sighed.

"How long could she live?," Joe asked.

"Two-hundred," Irene replied. "Just last week, a woman aged two-twelve died of natural causes. There's a chance that she could still be alive now. But we won't tell him that until we know."

"The team is still trying to re-activate him," Michael said. "He's a real mess inside, but we're not giving up."

"How long will you let us both stay?," Joe asked.

"Forever," Irene answered. "Joe, the new law is called 'finders-keepers' and it means that people like Michael and me can claim anything we find on our expeditions. You're both better off here anyway. If you leave, other people may try to re-sell you as a 'collector item' since you two are originals from Professor Allen Hobby. He died twenty-one years ago and he's considered a legend for what he did, especially with David." She looked at Joe. "David is especially valuable," she went on. "He was the first of his kind, designed by Hobby. Michael and I have already claimed him as ours. Taking him now would be theft."

"Then, we're both staying," Joe said.

"You'll both be safe with us," Michael replied. "We don't plan to put you on display or make money off of either of you. We have indeed already been covered by the news since we found David, but we're not welcoming people to this house unless we trust them."

Irene started to clean up the dishes.

Joe picked up the last dish and carried it to the kitchen. He extended it to Irene.

"Thank you, Joe," Irene smiled as she slowly took it from his hand.

"Bring David back," Joe begged as he leaned on his hands on the counter.

"We will," Irene replied. She set her hand on top of his. "Believe me, we will."

2


	5. Chapter 5

The Fords' large twelve-bedroom estate was surrounded by a six-foot cement wall and had iron gates at the entrance. A booth with a human guard and cameras were always monitoring who came and went. Alarm systems were everywhere and very sensitive. Michael and Irene took no chances as they protected the items they had found and salvaged. They knew the vultures would swoop in and grab anything if given the chance.

After Irene was ready that morning, she went out to see if the team was any closer to their goal.

"Good news, Irene," Jason said. "We are definitely getting closer to success. Maybe two weeks and we'll have it."

Joe, who was watching, smiled.

"Listen, Jason, Michael and I decided to go to Manhattan to see if we can find any of the records at the original Cybertronics offices," Irene said. "We're taking the larger vessel, the Phoenix. We'll take David with is so you can keep working on him." Irene looked at Joe. "And you can come, too, if you want to," she said. "You'll be near him. You'll both be safe with us."

Two weeks later, the Phoenix was on its way to Manhattan with everyone aboard. As the ship traveled, the team took shifts trying to bring back David. There was so much work to do.

Joe had never been aboard any type of boat or ship. He watched the water swell. At times, dolphins jumped and whales spouted in the distances. Sometimes, dolphins rode the waves at the bow of the ship and could be heard squawking happily.

"Front end is called the bow," Irene explained to Joe on deck. "Rear end is called the stern." She turned towards the bow. "Face the bow, please." Once Joe was also facing bow-end, Irene went on. "Right side is called starboard. Left side is called port."

Since robots are super-computers with no memory loss, Irene knew that she would never have to repeat this information to him. It was in his memory banks forever.

"Don't fall overboard, Joe," Irene said. "It's almost six miles deep around here. You'll be lost forever."

Despite being so human-like, Mecha are unable to swim. They were too heavy and would sink right to the bottom. Irene doubted if even a life jacket would help due to the extra weight.

Almost a week later, the Phoenix reached Manhattan. Irene, standing on the bridge with the helmsman, sent Alexa to get Joe. He likely knew where they needed to go from here.

"That way," Joe said as he pointed once he was asked. "How will you climb up to it, Irene?"

"We brought our amphibicopter, Joe," Irene said. "We'll get what we need. I just hope the place has what we need."

"There, Irene," Joe blurted, pointing at the lion statues he recognized from fifty years ago. "That's it. The weeping lions."

Irene was intrigued at the lion statues that were fountains. Water gushed from the eyes and mouths of the brass sculptures. "Wow, those are beautiful," she said as she looked at them. She looked at the crew.

"Drop anchor," Irene said. "Michael, Joe, Kevin, and I are going up there."

Kevin landed the amphibicopter inside the building, the same spot Joe had done so fifty years ago. The place was a wreck, but still intact. Kevin, their pilot, stayed in the vehicle while the other three walked to the door to see the poem that Joe could never forget:

"Come away, O human child

To the waters and the wild

With a fairy hand-in-hand

For the world is more full of weeping

Than you can understand."

The three walked in and found the office was in only slightly better shape than the outside.

"How in God's name will we find anything?," Michael complained.

"Patience," Irene replied. "The files are here someplace."

Joe stood back and watched as Irene and Michael searched through piles of papers and computer files. Amazingly, the computer still worked somewhat.

"Look at these photos, Michael," Irene said. "This man modeled David off his own real son." She showed him the photo that was a memorial and sighed. "Looks like the boy died at a young age." She looked at the photo and sighed sadly. "Poor kid."

Irene returned to the search.

"I got it!," Michael suddenly announced. "The original plans for David."

Michael and Irene read the files.

"He was designed to love, like a child loves a parent," Michael said as he read. "He had to be imprinted."

Irene took the next page and looked. "It says here that buyers are told the imprinting is irreversible, but also says that's not actually true."

"Why would they lie?," Joe asked.

"It doesn't say, only that it was company policy," Irene replied.

Irene looked through what was left of the desk and pulled out a thick used-up book. "Looks like a journal," Irene said. She opened it. "Yeah, it's in handwriting." She began to read aloud: "We have completed the prototype that we will name David, after my son, who the prototype will also look like. I have informed my staff that the instructions will warn that imprinting these child Mechas is irreversible, though that will not be the truth. As we do not buy and sell real children, why sell these children? What would make it any better? The imprinting reversal is only to be used by Cybertronics if a parent brings back the child and does not want them. Therefore, we can control what happens afterward. I do not want to see people selling these like 'used children' and this will make sure that does not happen." Irene looked up. "Well, that's the answer, everyone."

"That means there is hope for David," Michael said. "Whether we find this Monica or not."

Irene shut the journal. "I want to see the file for one specific model, doesn't matter who." She dug through the files and found one that read "Arlene; model number 69870-A; serial number 36875-8J."

"OK, here's one," Irene said. She opened it and started to dig through it. "I know there's something here." After a moment, she found a page-sized envelope labeled "Imprinting Protocol" and a warning that it was irreversible. She opened it and looked. "OK, to imprint one, the adult had to hold down a button on the back of the Mecha's neck. Then, the child is told to look right at the parent the entire time and seven words are said to it, then the child name, and then the parent name. This one has the words train, pony, redwood, lighthouse, chipmunk, pirate, and island."

"So, you will try to change him when he comes back?," Joe asked.

"Only the imprinting, Joe," Irene said. "Right now, his love is locked on this Monica woman. We don't know if she is even alive. It's for his own good. But he won't forget you. I promise that."

"Find who bought him, Irene," Joe said. "Can you do that?"

Irene looked at Michael. "Maybe we should do that," she said. "Maybe he's right."

After a long search, Michael found the prototype file. "Irene, look," he said as he looked at the computer screen. "David was the first. He was given for testing to Henry and Monica Swinton after their own son died of illness."

"I'll have Alexa try to find this family," Irene said. "We'll keep these files and the journal. We'll need them."

"Let's go back to the ship," Michael said.

Onboard the Phoenix, Irene took the files to the captain's quarters and locked them away. She called Alexa to meet her near the bow.

"What's up, Irene?," Alexa asked.

"We found the names of David's original owners," Irene said. "You, my friend, are going to work your magic and find them. I need to know if they're alive or dead. If either are alive, find where they are." She handed over the names. "Henry and Monica Swinton and their son, Martin Swinton. Work as fast as you can. We may get David back soon."

"OK," Alexa promised. "I'll do all I can to find them."

They began the journey back home.

On the second afternoon, it started to rain. Irene, however, loved the rain. She wore a hat and didn't let it bother her.

3


	6. Chapter 6

"Irene! Michael! Wake up! Hurry! Wake up!"

In her own bed at home, Irene stirred herself awake. She shook her husband awake and he also sat up.

Irene and Michael opened the bedroom door to find Fiona there. "We got him," Fiona smiled. "David. He's back!"

Irene threw her robe on and stepped into her slippers. She trotted down the stairs and into the workshop. An anxious David was clinging to Joe, like he had done at the flesh fair many years ago. He kept repeating the words, "Keep me safe! Keep me safe!"

Irene signaled the team to keep their distance.

"Hi, David," Irene cautiously greeted. "My name is Irene."

David stared at Irene, but never released his grip on Joe's arm. Joe remained still and said nothing at all.

"David, no one is going to harm you," Irene assured. "You have my word on that. We've kept you safe just like we've kept Joe safe. You're both important to us." David glanced up at Joe, then looked back at the woman. As Michael entered the room, Irene signaled him to maintain his distance. She looked back at David. "What would you like us to do for you, David?," she asked.

"I want my mommy," David replied.

"Monica," Irene said. "I have somebody looking for her now. We don't know where she is now. But we're looking."

"Is she not at home?," David asked.

"David, you were under the water in the amphibicopter for almost fifty years," Irene explained. "She no longer lives in that house. But we're looking to see where she is now. Until then, you and Joe will stay here and we'll keep you both safe."

David again looked up at Joe. "Is she good, Joe?," he asked.

"Yes," Joe replied. "Stay with me, David."

David looked at Irene. "Will you find my mommy?," he asked.

"I have my best investigator working on it now," Irene replied.

"But if it's been fifty years, that means mommy isn't here," David said as he slightly relaxed his grip on Joe. "She said she would live for fifty years."

"David, no one knows exactly how long they will live or when they will die," Irene said. "My own mother lived to be ninety-eight. But, now people are living longer. My friend's mother is aged one-hundred-eighteen years old. And nowadays, people are even living to age two-hundred. So, there is a chance Monica may be alive. If she is alive, we will find her." She paused. "Right now, you will stay here with all of us and we won't let anyone harm you."

"Can I stay with Joe?," David asked.

Irene smiled. "Of course you can," she replied. "Stay with anyone here that you want."

David slowly let go of Joe's hand, then looked up at him. "I'm OK," he said to his friend. "Just let me stay close to you."

"Of course," Joe replied.

Over the next several weeks, Alexa continued her research on the whereabouts and condition of the Swinton family. She went through all kinds of files and searched her computer. Finding the family was proving to be more difficult than she thought it would be. The old house was no longer standing. The area, surrounded by forestry, had overgrown and now the house was in ruins and even had trees and bushes growing where there used to be floors.

Alexa was undeterred. Where do you look for a family that seemed to want to avoid being found? It was like they had vanished off the face of the earth.

David played with Teddy and stayed close to Joe, waiting.

On a rainy night, Alexa came through. She darted through the house and found Michael and Irene. "We hit the lottery," she smiled.

Irene jumped from her seat. "What did you find?," she asked.

"Henry Swinton died nine years ago," Alexa said. "Monica and Martin are both still living. However, Monica is in an assisted living facility and we still don't know if she even remembers David at all. She's one town over, maybe a one-hour drive. I'll call you when I find her."

"Before we tell David, go see her at the facility," Irene said. "Take these photos of David with you and talk to her. Let's see what she remembers. Be as fast as you can. David keeps asking for her."

"I'll be ready to go in ten minutes," Alexa promised.

As the day wore on, Irene and Michael said nothing to David. They knew there would be trouble if they did. To be safe, they also did not say anything to Joe about what had happened. David continued to ask questions.

Irene kept her phone with her, waiting for Alexa to call.

2


	7. Chapter 7

Alexa drove to the iron gate in front of the estate and greeted the guard in the booth. "Hey, Trevor, good to see you. They're expecting me," she said.

"Of course," Trevor replied. "Go right in."

Inside, Alexa found Irene with David and Joe in the living room. She was telling David what was going on in each photograph.

"Irene, we need to talk," Alexa said.

"Of course," Irene replied. She turned back to David. "David, why don't you watch a movie on television? Alexa and I need to talk business."

In the locked study upstairs, which was also sound-proofed, Irene and Alexa met up. Alexa showed her the photos on her phone.

"Monica is growing weaker by the day," Alexa said. "She may not live much longer. If you want to take David to see her, you need to do it very quickly."

Irene nodded. "Tomorrow," she said. "Michael, David, and I will go. We'll take the van." She looked at Alexa. "Let me tell David."

"I wonder if it was a good idea then to build a child anyway?," Alexa asked. "I mean, it's hard enough for real children to accept death. But something that's not real can never really get it."

"I think they were given human emotions for a reason," Irene said as she sat down at the desk. "It may have been to get people to accept them more. But, that seemed to backfire. These flesh fairs seemed to prefer the ones with emotion, angry that a non-living item could feel what we feel. It's always been difficult to accept new technology and mechanics. When the motor vehicle was first invented, not many people could afford them. They were loud and scared horses. People who were still on horses had to walk their horses past the vehicles. Then if your car broke down, people yelled at you to get a horse. But, these were beyond vehicles or new telephones. These were too much too fast for some people and they seemed to rebel against them."

"They're more accepted now," Alexa pointed out.

"Now that they don't build children anymore or give the Mechas quite so much human emotion," Irene pointed out. "They're given a will-to-live and the pain sensors and an ability to either like or dislike you. But David and Joe are older models. They have much more emotion than the modern models have, almost as much as you and I do."

"And we don't make Lover-Mechas anymore," Alexa replied. "I never saw the point of that one. And I also don't see the point in giving them the pain receptors."

"So they don't break or damage themselves," Irene replied. "It's called Damage Avoidance System. It's the same reason we feel pain; to keep from being hurt. I think it's a good thing. They have the same will-to-live that we have. They don't want to be destroyed any more than you and I don't want to be killed. Have you seen a flesh fair? I sent an undercover to video one a few years before they became illegal. These Mechas did indeed resist being destroyed. They struggled, just like a person would if abducted. They didn't fight like hell, but it was obvious that they did not want to be destroyed."

"I wonder if there's any footage of the flesh fair that David and Joe escaped from?," Alexa wondered. "I'll look into that, see if I can find any if there is."

"I'll go talk to David," Irene said.

Moments later, Irene found David playing a video game in what was now his room.

"David, I need to speak with you," Irene said as she turned off the game system. She sat down as David looked at her. Irene went on. "We found Monica," she said. "And she is alive." David smiled. Hearing from the hallway, Joe entered the room and listened. Irene continued. "She's in another town. But, David, she is not the same she was when you last saw her. She is very old and she looks different than what she used to look like."

"I want to see her," David said.

"We will go see her," Irene promised. "It's late now, but we will go tomorrow." Irene paused. "David, she cannot take care of you now, so you will not be able to stay with her. She lives in a place where they take care of older people. They will not let you live there with her."

"But can she live here?," David asked.

"No, David, she cannot," Irene replied. "She is not related to me. Her son, Martin, is still alive and he is an adult. So he makes all her choices for her. I cannot interfere with what he wants for her." Irene stood up and knelt in front of David. "We will see her tomorrow and you will see that she's OK and that she's in a good home," Irene said. "And I am sure that she loves you, just like she did years ago."

Several moments after Irene finished talking, she left the room and went to the kitchen to get something to drink. She never drank alcohol or coffee, but loved sodas and fruit juices.

In the room, David was still sitting on the floor. He looked at Joe. "If I can't stay with her, what will happen to me?," he asked.

"You will stay here with me," Joe replied. "I will look after you, David."

As the sun rose the next morning, Irene and Michael prepared for the trip to go see Monica. Hearing the couple walk down the stairs, David followed.

"David, Michael will get you dressed and then we'll all go," Irene told him.

"Is Joe coming with us?," David asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea, David," Irene said. She looked at her husband. "What do you think? Take him? Leave him?"

"I think he needs to stay with Alexa," Michael replied. "She'll stay here with him. I'll call her to come."

An hour later, the car was on the way to a small town called Redwood, which was a two-hour drive. Irene and Michael took turns driving. A light sprinkle was raining as they arrived at the facility. David looked out the window as Michael, now at the wheel, sharked for a parking spot. David could see old people walking around unsteadily, like toddlers. He saw people being pushed around in wheelchairs. He saw people on canes and walkers and people who looked like they shouldn't even be alive. Many of the people looked depressing.

David feared what Monica might look like. Irene was concerned for that, too. Alexa had learned from talking to Monica that she did indeed remember David. So, how bad off could she be?

Michael parked the car and everyone got out. "Stay close to us, David," Irene said. She took his hand. Inside, Michael asked the nurse at the main desk for Monica Swinton's room. Then, the three went to see the woman.

Monica was sitting in a wheelchair with an oxygen tube. She smiled as soon as she saw David.

"Monica, my name is Irene and this is Michael," Irene said. "We found your David a month ago and found that you were the one who adopted him years ago."

"David," Monica said. "I've always regretted leaving you there." She reached out to David. Irene released his hand. David cautiously approached Monica. She took both his hands. "David, I always loved you," she said. "I hope you know that. I always loved you."

David hugged Monica tightly. He then looked at her.

"David, I cannot take care of you now," Monica said. "I can't even care for myself anymore. So, I want you to stay with Irene and Michael. They will look after you. They will keep you safe."

"Will I see you again?," David asked.

"I don't know," Monica replied.

As Monica and David continued, the slightly-open door was pushed all the way open. A man and a woman were there. "Excuse me," the man said. "Who are you people?"

"No, Martin," Monica begged.

"You're the son," Irene realized.

"Martin, yes?," Michael asked. "Let's talk out in the hall."

"Was that our David?," Martin asked once they were in the hall.

"Yes, it is," Michael replied. "We wanted to let him see Monica one last time. Then, we're taking him back with us. My wife and I found him a month ago. He's already been re-registered as ours."

"He'll come back," Martin, now aged sixty-two, said angrily. "Mom imprinted him and that's permanent."

"No, it's not," Michael replied. "We found that it is reversible. We're going to reverse it and then imprint him on us."

"So, we'll never see him again, right?," Martin pressured.

"Right," Michael said. "He may not even remember her when we're finished."

Martin nodded. "They had no right to replace me," he said.

"They didn't do that," Michael replied. "Monica was lonely during the day and needed somebody to love. She loved you both so much. Did you know that your mother didn't want David when your father first brought him home?"

"No," Martin replied. He said no more.

Irene stepped out of the room with David hand-in-hand. "Michael, we need to go now," she said.

Martin looked at David. "Still was a bad idea," he said. He watched as the couple walked away with David.

4


	8. Chapter 8

"Ready?," Nathan asked.

On the table, David was de-activated and now Nathan had the small memory cube in his hand. He pointed at the tiny switch. "This will reverse the imprinting," he explained. "Are you sure we need to do this?"

"Yes," Irene replied. "Otherwise, he'll keep trying to go back to Monica forever. It needs to be done."

Nathan flipped the switch, then flipped it back. He replaced the cube, which went into a slot in David's forehead, but behind the actual face, and then pressed the button in David's back to put him together. He then re-activated the robo-boy.

"Well, here we go," Irene said. She still had the original imprinting protocol with her. "Everyone except Michael, please go." Everyone left the room.

"David, sit here, please," Irene said. Once David sat down, Irene and Michael knelt in front of him. "I'm going to read some words to you. It won't make any sense, but you need to listen anyway. And look at Michael and me the whole time. Can you do that?"

"Yes, Irene," David said.

Irene touched the buttons in the back of David's neck. She then read the words; "Cirrus, Socrates, Particle, Decibel, Hurricane, Dolphin, Tulip, Irene, David, Michael, David."

After a moment, David spoke, "What were those for, Mommy?," he asked. "Daddy?"

"Who are we, David?," Irene asked.

"My mommy and daddy," David said as he took them both into a big hug. "You're my mommy and daddy."

1


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